all rise

University of Houston debuts new ultramodern legal center named for fierce and legendary local lawyer

John M. O'Quinn Law Building UH university of houston

UH's John M. O'Quinn Law Building opens this week.

Photos courtesy of University of Houston

Fierce and fiery, Houston trial attorney John M. O'Quinn was famous — and infamous — for his dogged pursuit of wrongdoers and his ability to charm and sway juries with his charismatic, powerful presence.

The man who boasted a car collection valued at more than $100 million — including what was considered to be the world’s oldest running motor car — sadly died in 2009 in a single-car accident, but left a legacy of helping those in need and especially for philanthropy — notably, with his alma mater University of Houston.

Fitting, then, that, UH will officially open the John M. O'Quinn Law Building Thursday, September 22. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, set to take place at 6 pm, will be a celebration with UH president Renu Khator; UH Law Center dean Leonard M. Baynes; UH alumni, donors, and dignitaries.

Years in the works, the $93 million, state-of-the-art law center is the newest law building in Texas. Designed by the women-owned architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch, the five-story, ultramodern building offers 180,000 square feet of space for research, clinics, courtrooms, and events.

UH Law students now have amenities such as a two-story library, meditation room, commuter showers with changing rooms, an outdoor terrace with dramatic views of campus and downtown Houston, a student lounge, and a convenience store.

“This has been a decades-long dream of alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends who wanted a new building that represented the quality and caliber of the Law Center,” said University of Houston Law Center dean Leonard M. Baynes.

O’Quinn graduated from the UH Law Center in 1967 and would go on to be one of the Bayou City’s most-recognizable and bold-faced names. After his 2009 death, his John M. O’Quinn Foundation donated more than $16 million to support the Law Center and building construction.

The new law center is located at 4170 Martin Luther King Blvd., at the northeast corner of the UH campus. Students, faculty, and staff began using the building earlier this semester.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of UH's Law Center, which was established in 1947. It is home to the university’s J.D. and LL.M. degree programs as well as nationally ranked clinics, specialty institutes, pre-law pipeline programs and career services

Three of the center’s law programs rank in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report : No. 6 in Intellectual Property Law, No. 7 in Health Care Law, and No. 9 in Part-time law degree program.

Sobering statistic

Texas ranks as one of the deadliest states for New Year’s crashes

Courtesy

Be sure to arrange a safe ride home on New Year's Eve.

At more than 314,000 miles, Texas boasts the largest system of public roads among the 50 states. It also holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the deadliest states for New Year’s car accidents.

An analysis of 2014-2023 traffic data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows Texas is the ninth worst state for traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

During the 10-year period covered by the analysis, commissioned by AutoAccident.com, Texas tallied 280 traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — the highest total of any state. The 280-person toll in Texas works out to 9.61 deaths per one million residents, a rate that’s 37 percent above the national average of 6.99 deaths per one million residents.

The analysis reveals that nearly three-fourths (64 percent) of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traffic deaths in Texas were drivers, nearly one-fifth (19 percent) were pedestrians, and 16 percent were passengers.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights on American roads,” says Edward Smith, managing attorney at AutoAccident.com, a personal injury law firm.

“With impaired driving incidents spiking during holiday celebrations, every driver has a responsibility to make smart choices that protect themselves and others sharing the road,” Smith adds. “Even in states with strong safety records, one preventable death is too many.”

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than 2,000 drunk driving-related crashes happened during the 2024 holiday season. Last year, December ranked as the No. 1 month in Texas for wrecks caused by drunk drivers.

“The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family, and yet they can also be a painful reminder for those who have lost loved ones to preventable crashes,” says Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT. “Let’s make a new holiday tradition to drive like a Texan: kind, courteous, and safe. That means always getting a sober ride.”

TxDOT offers these four tips for staying safe on the roads as the calendar switches from 2025 to 2026:

Designate a sober driver before the celebrations start.
Ask a sober relative or friend to pick you up if you’re too tipsy to drive.
Use public transit or rideshare services.
Stay off the roads until you’ve sobered up.

traffic fatalities crime holidays new year's day new years eve traffic